Data Mine
by UltimateEnigmatic
Summary: Awakening in Kanzakai, with almost no memories of what happened prior, the Ultimate Gamer awaken in the city streets. Now, she becomes a part of the Hollow Night, and everything that encompasses it. How will she fare? And will she regain her lost memories? (Rated T for language and slight gore.)
1. Prologue: How It All Happened

(?'s POV)

This is torture! I never wanted this! I don't even know what I did to deserve this! Heck, I'm sure I didn't deserve this! All I know is that some girl is forcing me though this hell, and now I have to get out. But I'm battered and shattered and bruised to no end. I have to make it through here, no matter what! But easier said then done. I'm limping, which makes me slower. It opens me for more pain from the mad-girl's traps. I don't think I can make it. Then I can see my only solace, the goal! I walk towards it, and I see my friends. My teacher! They're all waiting for me. I reach out and-

W-what? I felt myself… getting punctured in… the abdomen. It was… all an illusion. I fall over… in pain, and more spikes… come from where I lay. I'm dead… There's no… point around it. But despite this, I still cling on… to life. I want… to see my friends… again… I want to… play games with them again… I want to play games with… "H-Hajime…" That… was the last word I said… before it all went dark…

And then…

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I woke up…

How? It all felt so real… All the pain I went through. All the torment I had gone through. All the despair I felt… It was real, I know it. But despite that… I'm alive…

I get up and brush myself off. I quickly notice that I'm not in uniform. Instead, I have my teal-grey cardigan with my pointed hood. At least that's normal, I guess. But what unsettles me is that I'm wearing pale beige sweatpants, as opposed to a skirt, like I normally would. I also have flamingo-pink winter boots, in place of my usual Mary-janes. I quickly fell my head, and sigh in relief as my Gala-Omega hairclip is still on me. But the real unnerving part about it, is that I was completely unscathed. After all of what I went though, I'm alive without so much as a scratch. This is beyond surreal. A miracle perhaps?

Then I look around and see that I'm not in Hope's Peak anymore. I'm in the middle of a city. A big one at that. I don't know where I am, and none of these buildings look remotely familiar. There's a park, two cafes, a shopping plaza, a river outlook, a mountain pass, a video arcade (score!), and a few schools here too. But what's eerie is how there's almost no one out in the streets as of now. It does seem to be night. Wait, is it night. It feels like it, but I don't feel sleepy…

I look up and see a dark formation of clouds, a searing copper in the center. This is clearly abnormal! I look around again and see that, once again, there is no one in sight. I decide to wander around in hopes of finding SOMEONE to tell me where I am and what's going on. But, for what feels like an hour, I wander around aimlessly and see literally no one in sight. But I can't shake the feeling that I'm being watched by someone. Or, something. I look around at every opportunity and, nothing. It all feels so, hollow.

I feel a biting feeling on my right hand. I quickly jerk it away and turn to whatever it was that bit me. I looked down because I assumed it was a dog or something, but then I saw a black leg of some sort. I looked up and saw the source of the bite. I saw a tall, human-like creature, shrouded in darkness. Its eyes pierce through the shadowy figure with a sinister shade of amethyst. Whatever this thing is, I felt like I need to stay calm, and run away.

But it wasn't working. I'm not a good runner, and the monster seemed to be able to follow me. What's worse, I see more of those things all around the city. They weren't here when I looked around earlier. I quickly find myself running out of breath. And then I stumble over, flat on the ground. I try to crawl away, but the beast grips my ankles. It stares at me with undeniable bloodlust. No way… Am I going to die? Again? I close my eyes and brace for my second death.

But it never came. This time, someone came to my rescue. He had dual-toned hair, bleach blonde at the front and black at the back. His eyes a dark red with cat-like slit pupils. His attire was worn rather sloppily, a black, unzipped blazer with golden rims. He had small belts on the wrists of his sleeves and larger ones around his waist, all with a golden buckle on them. The bottom one on his waist was the only one undone. His black pants had zippers going down his legs and wore black shoes with a gold stripe going across the front. Under his jacket, he had a white polo shirt, and a red tie. Under his polo, I could see a red undershirt. In his hand was a long, red, katana-like sword that exuded a very powerful aura. And he had just used it to slice the monster in two.

"You okay?" He askes me. He holds out his free hand to pick me up. "I-I guess so…" I respond. I grab his hand and he pulls me up on my feet. "It's not safe for someone to be out here right now. What were you doing out here?" I try to respond. "I-I…" But then something catches my eye. Another one of those things skulking towards us. It seems to be gazing at the boy who saved me. But now, it noticed that I noticed it, and prepares to pounce. "Look out!" I yell. Then, I felt myself move on my own. I push him aside and prepare to intercept the beast with… my hand? How would that…

A neon green laser shoots from my palm. When it connects with the beast, the laser explodes into multiple green squares. It sends the beast reeling back as it retreats away to, who knows where. I stare at my palm for a moment, baffled at how I just did that. I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turn around and see the boy from earlier. "I didn't need to be pushed like that, but thanks." I wonder… "Do you have any idea what happened?" He nods. "Follow me. We'll tell you everything." We? I wonder what THAT means. With nothing else better to do, I follow him. He leads me to his house.

And now I understand what he means by "we." There were three others apparently living in his house. One was a young girl with brown hair and brown eyes. She wore a yellow hoodie with a black shirt that went up to her neck. She wore black spandex shorts and black zipper boots up to calf-length. Then there was another girl with long white hair in twin ponytails with a spiral, halo-shaped ahoge. She wore a flared, ruffled black dress with flared sleeves, with a bright red pattern adorning her dress. Her magenta eyes looked as sleepy as mine and behind her was a pair of six red wings that float behind her. I guess I'll ask about that later. Mostly because I was scared silent by the last one. It was a large, heavily-muscled, dark-skinned elderly man with thick white hair, thick white eyebrows, a full white beard and thick white chest hair. He had blood-red eyes that showed no pupils or sclera. He wore a fluffy collar, aquamarine martial arts training pants with a grey fur covering and black boots. He had two large gauntlets with metallic claws on them.

"So you found some girl being hunted by one of them, and saved her. Only to be jumped by another one and then she saved you." The young girl deadpanned. "Yeah. Only, I don't know what she did. I've never seen anything like it." The boy from earlier said. "She seems so frail. I'm surprised she didn't break when it caught her." The large man said loudly. "Perhaps we should inform her of the situation that surrounds all of us. She does not seem to be from around here." The winged girl said, rather coordinately. "Yeah. That's probably the best thing to do right now." The boy says. The other two nod in agreement. Then they all turn to me.

"Well, for starters, you're clearly not from around here. This city is called Kanzakai. You heard of it?" The young girl asked me. I shake my head no. "Well then. Let me fill you in on the situation. Here in Kanzakai, once every full moon, the town gets an appearance from what we call, 'The Hollow Night.' The boy tells me. There was more. "Furthermore, the creatures you were attacked by are known as Voids. Beings that prey on humans." What the winged girl said scared me. I could've been eaten? I dreaded to imagine what could've happened.

"Now then. Show me what you did to fend off your assailant. I want to see it first-hand!" The large man boasted. On instinct, and in jumpiness, I extended my palm towards him and the laser appeared again. Only, the man was able to block it with his claws. I look around and see the young girl's eyes widen a little. "Hmph. I see now." The large man says, in the first calm manner I've heard him speak with. "I'll ask you one question. Were you bitten by one of the Voids?" I nod my head yes. Everyone closes their eyes for a moment. Then the boy speaks. "Well that settles it. You're like us. An In-Birth."

"A-An In-Birth?" I ask. First thing I could say too. "Yeah. You have abilities that controls the EXS. Powers that stem from one's manifestation." The young girl explains. "And by technicality, we are not alive or dead. We are people without a birth." That surprised me. I remember being alive, but now? I couldn't wrap my head around it. "I know it's shocking. That's the look I made with my face when I first found out." The boy said. "I recognize that ability too. The EXS of Memory: Data Mine." The young girl says. "Data Mine?" I ask. "Do not worry. We will help you control your newfound powers that are now a part of your being." The winged girl says.

"First, we should let the girl know who we are." The large man says. They all nod in agreement once again. "We are known as the Night Blade. We protect innocents from the Voids that attack them in the Hollow Night. I am Waldstein." The large man says. "I am an Autonomic Nerve, tasked with the destruction of all Voids. However, you may call me Vatista." The winged girl says. "I'm Linne. Sort of the leader here. Nice to meet you." The young girl says. "And I'm Hyde." The boy says. "Now, what's your name?" Hyde asks me.

For some reason, this got me thinking. For whatever reason, I don't remember anything just before waking up in Kanzakai. All I was able to feel before then, was pain. It's as if I had already died. Could I have been an In-Birth already? No. I remember Hope's Peak. That I know. But I can't remember anything else! But I knew my name. It's probably the only thing I remember from then.

"I'm Chiaki Nanami."

 **Author's Notes**

 **I do not own Chiaki, or any of the characters in Under-Night In Birth. They belong to their respective companies. The first chapter awaits on 11/30. Until next time, I'll stay Enigmatic.**

 **-UltimateEnigmatic**


	2. Clause 001: First Fight In The Night

(No POV)

Junko Enoshima, for a lack of a better term, was pissed. Sure, she had just succeeded in turning Class 77-B into Ultimate Despair, but there was something wrong with what had happened. Or rather, there wasn't something there that should've been there. "Kamakura?" Junko asks the person behind her. "What?" Izuru Kamakura, who was obviously disinterested, asked back. "Where is that gamer girl's corpse?" Izuru hesitated, only for a moment to give his answer. For the first time in his life, Izuru Kamakura had a puzzle that he could not solve. When he went to retrieve Chiaki's decaying body, it was gone. But it was impossible, for no one else was here to retrieve the corpse, and there were no trap doors to pitfalls in the entire execution. So how could a body just up and vanish? This is the one flaw that Izuru Kamakura has; he cannot think outside of conventional means. While he can certainly think outside the box, he does not believe the supernatural can happen. However, that is precisely what did happen. "Answer me Kamakura! Where is the body?" Junko's temper was actually getting worse. Kamakura gave an honest answer; "I don't know." The two then stared at each other for what seemed like an hour, before Junko broke the silence. "What do you mean you don't know?" She asks, notably getting more peeved. "I said I don't know. I went to retrieve the corpse, as planned. But when I got to where she died, she was gone. Without a trace." Junko was rolling on the ground, literally actually. "That's just great!" she yelled sarcastically. She quickly regained her composure. "Well, it shouldn't matter that much. No matter where the corpse is, the outcome should stay the same. Come on Kamakura. We've got despair to spread!" And with that, they left. However, this greatly concerned Izuru, as this wasn't the first corpse to just up and vanish. Both under the same mysterious circumstance. They were dead, but their body was nowhere to be found, and no one was able to interfere in any way possible. He ponders this for what seemed like ages, lost in thoughts, exploring every possibility. All the while, never once suspecting that Another Universe was the cause, and that the supernatural can actually happen.

(Chiaki's POV)

"Hyah!" I launch another Theta Buster at the training dummy. It's been three hours under the Hollow Night, and Linne and Hyde have been helping me with controlling my EXS. During this time, I've managed to learn many new techniques with my new abilities, and give them names, surprisingly by Linne's suggestion. "Good. Now try one from below." Following Linne's instructions, I hone my energy to the floor beneath the training dummy. Then, I use the attack. "Upsilon Floor!" I call out. The square formed under the dummy's stand starts glowing, before a large beam of light comes from the ground. "Lookin' good Chiaki!" Hyde cheers. I feel a bit happy that I'm doing so well. "I'm impressed. Not many manage to get used to their EXS that easily." I turn to face my newfound friends. "Well, I did play a lot of fighting games." I explain briefly. "Oh, I get it! You're imagining yourself as a character in a fighting game!" Hyde exclaims. "I suppose you could look at it that way." Linne says. "What do you mean?" I ask, in curiosity. "Well, for starters, it's obvious that we're not the only In-Births in Kanzakai. Like it or not, there are some people who use their EXS to fight other In-Births." Linne explains. "Yeah. I know several people who wanted to beat me senseless just because they could." Hyde states. "You refer to the Blood Spike and Windmill user, correct?" I hear Vatista say from behind Hyde. Hyde jumps a half-foot in the air. "Ah! Vatista! Don't scare me like that!" Hyde shouts. "Who are they?" I ask. "Well, the Windmill, Nanase, is someone who thought I turned her into an In-Birth." Hyde explains. "Yeah, that was an awkward and misunderstood conversation." Linne says, blushing a little. Guess she's not so stoic all the time. "Yeah. Even though she knows the truth now, she still badgers me on from time to time. I guess we're a little cool now. But the Blood Spike user? He's not so nice. Let me tell you now, if you see someone who looks a year older than me with blood all over him, avoid him. Carmine lives only to try and break anyone who he sees fit." So a classic street-bully, huh? "I think I can take him." I proclaim. "Not at your current skill level, you're not. You only recently awakened your powers, and you haven't had any opportunity to use them on a mobile target." Linne says. "Then, perhaps I can help." I hear another boy's voice behind Hyde, again. He jumps in complete surprise again.

It seemed to be a teenager with grey eyes. He had short black hair, with about one-fourth of it being white on the front of his left side. He wore a high-collared, double-breasted, black coat with a tattered end sticking out behind his right leg, blue pants and black shoes. "Hey Seth." Linne says. "Seth?" I ask. "Yeah, he's usually up and about rather than bunkering down." Hyde says. "He is also one of us." Vatista states. Seth doesn't agree or disagree with any of the statements. "Hey, Chiaki. Let's see how you do handle a moving target." Linne says. "Hey, Seth, go easy on her. It' her first go at an actual battle." Hyde calls out. Though I want to pout at him, I actually did feel like I needed to be eased into what could be my foreseeable future. I turn and face my opponent. "Here goes." I say. "You're not nervous. Good. Be ready." Seth declares. We both assume a fighting stance and prepare. I can feel the air become heavy, but I will not be fazed. This is my first fight, after all.

 **[Under Night In-Birth] Monochrome Memory (Seth's theme) Acoustic Cover by guest-san on YouTube**

Seth wastes no time in dashing forward, pulling out his two sapphire daggers. "Iota Arms!" I call out, the Data Mine EXS becoming a shield of energy. Seth, however, goes straight though the shield, and prepares to strike my back. I notice this almost instantly, and move quickly to block his attack. Seth takes the opportunity of when his dagger clashes to jump over my head. I decide that's when I should retaliate. "Delta Pulse!" I shout, a quick dome of energy erupting from my body. Seth takes the hit, but seems unfazed by this. He dashes forward again. I think I get what he's trying to do now, end it fast with a single backstab. I'm prepared as I call out Iota Arms again. Only, things go a bit differently this time. He doesn't dash past me, instead sweeping his leg to knock me off balance. I didn't expect this, so his attack succeeded. He then takes his dagger and slashes upwards, sending me a bit in the air. He then takes his chance and does another kick in the air, this time, to my stomach. Afterwards, I fall to the ground. I get up with, surprisingly relative ease. I also feel no wounds on my body, nor any remaining pain from Seth's attacks. Is this the power of EXS? No matter how, the battle is still going on. I decide to zone him away, putting pressure on him. "Theta Buster!" I launch the same laser bursts that I first used when I awoke as an In-Birth. Seth, deflects them with his knives, the square-shaped particles exploding where they connect. One of them manages to hit him in his left leg, and he stumbles back as a result. The, he does something unexpected. He throws one of his daggers right at me. I quickly sidestep out of the way, but that gives Seth all the time he needed to approach. Guess I'll have to fight close-quarters now. "Zeta Blade!" I call out, materializing a rectangular sword with a Tetris-like handle, specifically with the T and I pieces. I use this blade to parry Seth's dagger attacks. I see an opening to attack and slash forward. Seth backs away from it just in time, stomping on his thrown dagger and catching it in midair. I see sweat coming from Seth's forehead. Fatigue must be getting to him now. I decide to try and end it there. "Tau Linear!" I call out, blasting a large mega-laser from my hands towards Seth. It appeared as if Seth took the attack. When the laser finished, Seth was nowhere to be seen. Did I win? If so, where did he go?

 **End BGM**

I was given my answers to both those questions in an instant. I felt something tackle me from above as I get pinned down to the ground. I look at my assailant. It was Seth, and he had a knife to my throat. "It's over." He declares. I close my eyes and take a deep breathe. He was right. No matter what I did in that situation, I lost. "Good fight." I say. Seth gets up and helps me back on my feet. "Not bad." He says. "I guess you do have a good idea of what you're doing." Linne says. "You did great out there Chiaki." Hyde says. "Thanks. But I still did lose." I say. "But I see great potential within you." Seth says. "I was only holding back a little." He states. Granted, I knew he was holding back, but only a little? Either he was lying, or maybe my EXS is more powerful than I thought. "Be seeing you." Seth says. And just like that, he vanishes without a trace.

"So now that you have a general idea of how to fight, you think you can take on the Voids and other In-Births who want a shot at you?" Hyde asks. I nod my head and boldly declare my answer. "Yes." I feel like I'm going to start a whole new adventure. "That's good. But we all need our rest. Tonight's the last night of this Hollow Night's appearance. After that, we'll need to wait until the next full-moon before things get heated." Linne says. "Affirmative. What is more, the Hollow Night is what fuels the EXS around this city. When there is no EXS surrounding the air, In-Births cannot use their abilities." Vatista explains. "So we don't have these powers at all times." Hyde affirms. "I see. Well, I guess we DO get to live normal lives, despite what we do." I say. "Indeed! I honestly do not know why the Windmill girl wants to let her abilities go to waste!" I hear Waldstein say from behind Hyde. "GAH! What is with people sneaking up on me all of a sudden!?" Hyde yells. I can't help but chuckle at this. Seems my time here in Kanzakai will be eventful, Hollow Night or no.

(No POV)

From the rooftop of a fairly high building, three people seem to have observed that battle. "You saw that right?" A young woman asks. "You bet I did! That new girl is SOOO cool!" A girl responds jubilantly. "Easy. We don't want to alarm them." Another young woman says. "So what do we do about her?" She asks. "I believe we should let her stay with the Night Blade for now. She seems to have just awakened her powers, and without proper training, she won't be of much help to anyone." The first young woman says. "Once she's honed her abilities, we should try and convince her to join us." She finishes. "We should let that decision fall with her alone. Though, I will admit she would be a welcome addition to the Licht Kreis." The second young woman declares. "I can't wait to meet her up close! It'll be so much fun!" The girl cheers. The first young woman scoffs at her antics, while the other one gives a heartwarming smile.

On another rooftop, five more people saw the quick battle. "She seems powerful." A woman says. "Yes, but her skills need more work." A young man declares. "Ah, give her more time. She'll become quite good at what she does eventually." An older man says loosely. The young man visibly sighs at his elder's banter. "So, what do we do about this one?" The older man asks, in a more serious tone. "Indeed. Although, I find it interesting that she seems to be from another world. Though, it's not the first time we've seen such a phenomenon." The young man says. "That 'Eltnum' girl may have been an anomaly, but she was a satisfying entity when she WAS here." A middle-aged man said. The last man there said nothing. Then, the woman spoke again. "Well, we'll tell her that she can find a way to return home, if she works with us. Judging by her situation, it doesn't seem like she can do so by herself. But I'll show her that, with us, life is better in Amnesia!"

In an alleyway, a young man can be seen, standing there with blood on his hands. He senses the air vibrating. "Looks like there's something's new here. Good. Means there's fresh meat! I can't wait to see the hope in their eyes die!" The man then breaks into maniacal laughter.

In another alleyway, Seth appears right next to another girl. "Well?" She asks nervously. "It was nothing much. Just visiting my team and helping their new member." He says. The girl notices his clothes are very wrinkled. "It seemed like it was a rough one." She says. "I'm not hurt, am I?" Seth asks. "No." The girl says bluntly. "Then it's nothing to worry about. Come, let's go." Seth says, and begins to walk toward his destination. The young girl follows, wondering if this new recruit came in the same situation she did. From one world, to another. In the most despairing times, to a solace of hope.

 **Author's Notes:**

 **First, yes. For this project, I will be putting optional BGM if you wish to listen to that as the fight scenes happen. This will only happen in video game worlds, hence why I didn't do it for my RWBY fanfics. Speaking of which, I do not own any Danganronpa or Under Night In-Birth characters or terms. Yet. Yes, there will be a few OC's in this fic. Also, seems Chiaki has some potential as a fighter in the Hollow Nights that occur in Kanzakai. Although, Chiaki's first battle was ALWAYS going to be a loss for her, no matter who she faced. As stated, she is still a bit inexperienced, although her video gaming prowess does help her a fair bit. Also, her EXS is always neon green square particles with every attack. Once she has used her full move-set at least once I'll list what it is and what her moves do. Also, it seems like the Licht Kreis and Amnesia has their eyes on her, and a certain blood mongrel wants to get his hands on her as well. And who was the mysterious girl with Seth at the end? And what about the SECOND missing corpse back in the Danganronpa world? Well, actually there is a hint of who that one is. You might need to look hard to find out who it was. PM me if you think you know who it is. The next chapter here will be on 12/25, as a Christmas present from me to you. Let's just say that Chiaki may have wound up in Kanzakai in the middle of December. Next time you'll see me, it's back to RSCL. Until next time, I'll stay Enigmatic.**

 **-UltimateEnigmatic**


	3. Normality 001: Stroll Around the City

(Chiaki's POV)

"Thanks for doing this for me Hyde. I really appreciate it." I say. Hyde and I are walking on the Kanzakai streets in the middle of the day. The Hollow Night had ended, and it would be a few more weeks until the next full moon. True to what the other members of the Night Blade said, the EXS in the air seems to have vanished. My own EXS doesn't seem to work without it. Neither do theirs. And, thankfully, no Voids. "No problem Chiaki. I'm really sorry your first impression of Kanzakai was during the Hollow Night. It's actually a good city. Except, you know." I nod my head in response to Hyde. Normally, I'd have my nose buried in my consoles, but I didn't have one with me since I came here. That, and I figured I needed to know where I was a little better.

"So where to first?" I ask. Hyde looks up and thinks. "You know… I'm not entirely sure. I know what's last, but not what's… Maybe we just go around and see what we can find?" I nod my head at his suggestion. "Alright then. Up first is the intersection. We call it the Metropolitan Centre. Though, I like coming here a lot just for the convenience of it being in the dead center of the city." The entire four-way intersection was surrounded by tall buildings. There were traffic lights around the intersection as well as a pedestrian crossing. In the middle of said crossing, there was a monument with a clock on top of it. "It looks nice." I said. Hyde nods. "It's even better at night. When we're not having to fight, that is." I laugh a little at Hyde's small joke. Then we move on.

Up next, we came across a circular park. There were several tall trees growing which cast shadows into it. Around the park, there was a small metallic fence. Two paths went through the park and there were benches along these paths. "Yeah, this park is actually pretty quiet. No one comes here except to either be alone for a while, or to fight in the Hollow Night. For some reason, the old man keeps coming here every time it arrives." Hyde explains. He must be referring to Waldstein. I didn't think a quiet place as this would appeal to someone who enjoys the heat of battle like he did. Perhaps a nostalgic appeal or something? I pondered this as we went on to the next place.

We took a small shortcut across the underpass of the freeway. It featured a road for the cars and a sidewalk around it. There was also a pedestrian crossing that went over the road. There were several pillars which supported the freeway above. And lights were hanging from the ceiling and some smaller lights were set to the pillars. "This place used to be such a gathering spot. But after the first Hollow Night, Voids tended to come here to get unwary prey. Take my advice. During the Night, exit as quickly as you entered. Don't stay here longer than you have to." I nodded. "Easier said than done." We heard a voice from behind us. It sounded confidant, yet down-to-earth.

I turned around and saw who it was. He wore a black, zippered, long-sleeved shirt and black sport pants. He also wore black, fingered gloves and had all black sneakers. And he had hair not unlike Seth's. Only, his was entirely black. I think I know what his favorite color is. "You're not wrong Hyde. But it's because it's a good shortcut to somewhere else that people frequently pass through here. This could lead to an unnecessary scuffle." The young man said. "Yeah. I know. Oh, Chiaki, This is Druid. Druid, this is Chiaki." Hyde introduces me to him. "Druid Marcus. Nice to meet you." He reaches his hand out to me. "Chiaki Nanami. Same." I shake his hand. "I take it you're new here?" Druid asks. I nod my head in confirmation. "Well, you're in good hands with Hyde. Even if his luck is pretty awful." Druid says. "I'd yell. But yeah, you're kinda right." Hyde hangs his head in shame. "Well, you two be on your way. I'm only crossing through here to get home." Druid waves good-bye, and we return the sentiment. "So?" I ask Hyde. "Who, Druid? He's pretty chill. Hasn't fought anyone here unless they attack first." I might need to remember him.

Through the underpass, we encountered a shopping mall. It was called the _Bright Trade Facility_. We decided to go inside. The floor was looked like it was made of marble as it appeared very solid and also reflected the images of the objects nearby. Said objects consisted of several pots of red flowers on the floor and a few benches. In the middle of the mall, there is a huge astronomical clock. There were also several flags hanging from the ceiling that had the icons and names of zodiac signs in them. "This place has plenty of things you could buy for whatever reason. It's also the most popular gathering spot in Kanzakai. Don't think I have to say why." Hyde says. True to his word, there were plenty of people all around the mall. Two of which were walking directly toward us. Wait, what?

They were two girls. The taller one had long blue hair and blue eyes. In her hair she wore a white hairband. She wore a black winter jacket with gold buttons and a white scarf wrapped loosely around her neck. She wore all white winter boots and dark grey tights. The shorter one, er, much shorter one, had blonde hair tied in pigtails with canary yellow ribbons. She wore a blue winter jacket that seemed a bit oversized. It had golden trims on it. She also had the same winter boots as the taller one, but she instead opted to wear banana yellow sweatpants instead of tights. "Kido. Fancy meeting you here." The taller one says. "Harada? You too. Chiaki. This is Orie Harada. Uh, Harada? Who's the one with you?" Orie turns toward her shorter friend. "Oh. This is Mika Returna. She's a very close friend of mine." Mika dashes toward me in an instant. "We saw your fight last night! You were so cool! Even though you lost." I jumped in surprise a little. "What!?" I heard Hyde shout. "Mika! You weren't supposed to tell her that!" Orie reprimands. "Oops. Sorry. I just can't help it! You were amazing! I hope we can be friends!" Mika cheers. I turn towards Hyde. "Kido, perhaps you should tell her who we are." Orie suggests. "Yeah. Maybe you're right." Hyde admits. He then turns to me.

"Orie, and apparently Mika, are members of a group known as the Licht Kreis. They're people who do the same thing as us. Protect people from the Voids." Hyde says. "True, but we are also at odds with another group known as Amnesia, who, as far as we currently know, are trying to overflow EXS into the city. So far, no success has been made known." Orie finishes. "And more EXS means more Voids, right?" I ask. "Correct. At first, we were also a bit at odds with the Night Blade as well. But, seeing as neither of the two groups have any animosity with each other at the moment, that is no longer the case. Well, mostly…" Orie answers. "You mean the old man, right?" Hyde proposes. "Yes. The Licht Kreis is currently an all-female group. Before, males were allowed in as well. However, after Waldstein's defection to the Night Blade, we stopped allowing them." Orie explains further. "Shame too. He was such a good teacher for me!" Mika pouts. "Well, we're still allies. Even if one of your own is being problematic." We hear another voice from close by. Male actually.

Looking at him, he had lavender hair, long enough to have a ponytail, which he had kept with a large, topaz bead. He wore a heavy white winter coat with basic yellow trims and wore silver-colored cargo pants. His winter boots were lemon yellow. "Ah. Mr. Auger. It's nice to see you again." Orie says. "Please, call me Soll. We're only here for leisure, are we not?" Soll calmly declares. "The Ritter Schild was created to continue male operations for the Licht Kreis. But, as I said, we are currently at odds at our mother organization. Specifically because of The Crimson Knight." Soll elaborates. "The who?" Hyde asks. "Oh good, you haven't been acquainted yet. Erika Wagner, the Fourth Executor of the Licht Kreis has been a bit self-righteous as of late. Lately, she has been killing any who oppose our organization. She has even gone as far as killing our own simply because they disagree with her ideals. If it weren't for my dedication to the protection of the people, I would've left because of this." Orie says sadly. "Wagner has been going too far. But I have no qualms with the rest of the Licht Kreis. Unfortunately, my peers do not see with me eye to eye on this. They believe Wagner's actions embody the entirety of the group." Soll declares. I may have to keep an eye out for this 'Crimson Knight'. There may be a chance that I may meet with her one day.

After waving goodbye to Orie, Mika, and Soll, who elected to stay at the mall to catch up, Hyde and I went off to our next location. It seemed to be a traditional Japanese shrine. There was a pathway lined with lanterns, leading to a monument. There were trees on an elevated platform and a red Japanese-styled gateway served as an entry point to the shrine. "Ah, this place. I heard from Linne that the Night Blade used to worship the shrine here. It has since been abandoned. But there is someone here who always stays dedicated to this place." Hyde explains. "And that person is me!" I hear a cheery female voice from behind us.

This time, it was a young woman with long purple hair in a ponytail, red eyes and an admittedly slightly above-average bust. She wore a fuchsia camisole that left both her belly button and stomach visible, a light pink jacket with fuchsia flowers at the end and on the ends of the sleeves that hang on her shoulders, white-bright blue skinny jeans that was unzipped with an unbuckled belt and high heels. "Yuzu! Don't sneak up on us like that! And here I thought I was done being snuck up on yesterday." Hyde exclaims. I giggle a little at his misfortune. "So Hyde, who's this? Your new girlfriend?" We both blush at what 'Yuzu' said. "No! We just met yesterday! Why would that happen!?" Hyde shouts. "I kid. I kid. You're new to Kanzakai aren't ya? I'm Yuzuriha Sougetsu. Nice to meet ya!" Yuzuriha cheerfully exclaims. "Chiaki Nanami. Nice to meet you too." I say nervously. Mostly because of what she suggested between me and Hyde. "Well, as much as I'd love to play catch up, I wanna go eat lunch. Catch you later you two." Yuzuriha says as she walks off somewhere. "Uh, next spot?" Hyde asks. "Sure." I say.

We wound up in front of a parking lot. On the back of the parking lot, there was a fence which lead to the freeway. There also appeared to be an overhead road going right above the parking lot. On the corner of my eye, there were zigzag stairs which are connected to the side of the nearby building. "Oh no…" Hyde pales. "Yeah, let's not go through here." I tilt my head. "Why not?" I ask. "Remember that Carmine guy we warned you about?" Hyde asks. "Yeah…" I don't like where this is going. "Well, this is where he usually frequents, Hollow Night or not. I heard he's already strong WITHOUT his EXS. Trust me on this. Guy's got so short a temper, he'll want to cave your face in if you even look at him funny." Hyde warns. That got my attention. We then heard footsteps. Then a voice. "The hell's someone doin' here?!" It sounded angry and a bit raspy.

We saw a lean young man with long white hair and black eyes. His attire consisted of a black, sleeveless jacket that went down to just above his waist, giving him somewhat of a midriff. The jacket was only zipped up halfway, revealing some of his chest. His legwear consisted of a pair of baggy, blood red pants, which was held up by a black and silver belt. He also wore similarly colored shoes. "And that would be him. Run!" Hyde exclaims. We run away rom Carmine. "Hey! Clownfish! Get back here!" We only kept running.

We looked behind us to make sure Carmine wasn't chasing us. Thankfully not. I looked to where we wound up. It looked like it was still under construction. A park area nearby the river had been already constructed. Various decorations to the park such as benches, flowerbeds and street lamps had all been set up as well. However, a larger bridge in the horizon was still incomplete. "Phew. That was close. Huh… This was started around the newer part of the city. It's still under construction for who knows why. Though I worry a little. Though not as much as Carmine." Hyde says, catching his breath. "Why worry?" I ask, also catching my breath. "Remember that Amnesia group Harada told us about?" Hyde asks back. "Someone from that group frequents this place?" I suggest. "I'm wounded. Truly I am. I already said I'm not a part of Amnesia anymore. Geez. Give a guy a break." I heard a carefree man's voice from the left.

We turn and see a man with a slightly tan complexion, purple eyes and black spiky hair with a fringe that covered his left eye. He wore grey tuxedo vest and pants with black dress shoes. His undershirt was black, and he wore a white tie around his neck. His belt was a very light blue, and he had his right hand in his pocket, seemingly at all times. "Gordeau." Hyde says. "What are you doing here?" He asks accusingly. "I'm on break for a while. I can't work all the time. All work and no play makes for a poor man, you know?" Gordeau says nonchalantly. "What do you mean you're not a part of Amnesia?" I ask. "It's exactly as it sounds. I may do the odd job for them occasionally, but it's because my best friend's a part of it still. Me? I left. You heard about Licht Kreis right? I assume so because you know who I used to be with." Gordeau says loosely. I nod my head yes. Gordeau's demeanor immediately changes to a more serious tone. "Well, the Crimson Knight of the Licht Kreis killed my best friend. And now, I want revenge. That's why I left. So I could do just that on my own." Gordeau says angrily. "Wagner?" I ask. "You heard of her?" Gordeau asked, still a bit mad. I noticed his right-hand fidget in his pocket. "I may have met someone who knew her by name. She told me things." I clarify. The fidgeting stopped. "Well, I know not everyone in the Licht Kreis isn't like her. Still can't help but hold a grudge against her though." Gordeau says, calming down a bit. "Whoop, I gotta get back to work. Catch you when I do, I guess?" Gordeau says. "Yeah, it's been fun. Come on Chiaki. Let's go." Hyde leads me away, a bit urgently. I guess he still doesn't trust him yet.

Or not, his urgency seemed to be more positive side of the emotional spectrum. "This is the heart and soul of Kanzakai! The Sleeping Fountain Plaza!" Hyde declares as he leads me inside. It was… beautiful. There was a huge, glistening fountain. High above there was a web made of wires which was connected to the rooftop of the nearby buildings. The web was used to hang all the illuminating decorations in midair above the fountain. All around, there were flags featuring pictures of different zodiac signs, similar to those which we saw in the _Bright Trade Facility_. "This place is Kanzakai's most known landmark. And for good reason too. It's got many smaller convenience and general stores, a good restaurant I keep taking Linne to, and it's in close proximity to the Metropolitan Centre and Kanzakai Station." Hyde compliments. I will admit, it is amazing to look at all the pretty scenery. "I always enjoy coming to this place." Hyde states. "You know Hyde, same." I hear a girl's voice from nearby. We keep meeting new people, huh?

She was a young girl with light brown hair kept in pigtails by white ribbons, and had green eyes. She wore a white jacket with tan sleeves and a light green zipper and hood. Her tights were green, and she wore brown small-ankle combat boots with wings attached to them. "Nanase? How've you been?" Hyde greets Nanase. Wait, Nanase? Wasn't she the one who thought Hyde turned her into an In-Birth. "Doing good. So what are you doing with her? Nothing bad I hope." Nanase questions. "Nah. This is Chiaki. She's new here, so I thought I'd show her around." Hyde explains. "Nice to meet you." I say. "You too Chiaki. Hey, let me know if Hyde starts getting too weird for you. I'll knock some sense into him!" Nanase declares. "Hey, knock it off Nanase." Hyde complains. Nanase and I share a small laugh.

We waved goodbye to Nanase, and Hyde takes me to the last place he wanted to show me. My eyes immediately lit up. "This is _Tsukiakari Arcade_. I knew you liked video games, so here you go!" Hyde says. I turn to face him. "How did you know?" I ask. "Vatista may have found your backpack open and saw you gaming console. She then told me." Hyde answered. "Well, thank you! I'll be sure to come here often!" I say. Hyde reaches into his pocket. "Here. Try and find something you like." Hyde gave me a few tokens for the arcade. "You come here too?" I ask. "On occasion. Mostly when I have nothing else to do." Hyde answers. "How will I pick just one?" I ask. "Maybe try many of them." Hyde suggests. "Well, I'm going back now. You know your way back?" Hyde asks. I nod my head yes. "Then have fun." Hyde calls and leaves. I immediately see and go to a Tetris machine. _Tetris Effect Arcade_ huh?

It felt like an hour or so had passed before I completed the last level. The music that had played during the entire time was stellar, and the fact that what I did made music with the game was even better. "You were really good." I heard a boy's voice from behind me say. I turned around and faced him. It was a rather short young man with pale, violet hair and empty, grey eyes. His attire consisted of a black, unbuttoned blazer with gold colored buttons on the front of the blazer and on the bottom of his sleeves. He also wore a white, long sleeved polo shirt underneath with the top and bottom buttons undone. He wore a bolo tie around his neck with a purple cord and a golden clasp that featured a pattern that looks similar to that of a large spider. His legwear consisted of plain black pants and white derby shoes with gold colored laces and a gold streak across the front. "Thank you." I say to him. "My name is Byakuya. I was walking by, and I couldn't help but notice how well you were doing." He praises. "Thanks. I'm Chiaki." I reply. I look at the clock above. "I should probably get going now." I say. "See you around maybe?" I ask. "I don't see why not." Byakuya replies. I left the arcade. Though, that name… Byakuya. It seems, familiar somehow…

(Carmine's POV)

That girl with Clownfish… There's something about her… Is she that presence I felt yesterday? If so, maybe she'll be interesting. Either way, next time I see her, I'll make sure she knows who I am for sure. After all, if she has some new EXS, I want to see her tested to her limits! Then maybe I'll break her! I let out a maniacal laugh before sensing someone else. "The hell you want? A beating? Fine!" I then dash over and maul the poor sap who wandered a bit too far into the wrong place. It's on him, not me.

(Gordeau's POV)

"What do you mean you didn't try to convince her!?" Hilda yelled at me. "Hey, I said if it's about Amnesia, I ain't doing it. I'm a mercenary, not a kidnapper." I retort calmly. "Besides, I just wanted to do my job. Which is this actually." I continue. "Right. I forgot you're not technically one of us anymore." Hilda concedes. "Good. Now, one more shot?" I offer. "No. I'm good. I just wanted to hear about your encounter with the new one." Hilda declines. "Suit yourself." I say before going back to wash the wine glasses I had to. "That girl… she seems about Chaos's age now that I think about it. Interesting…" I mutter to myself. "What was that?" Hilda asks me. "Nothing." I reply.

(No POV)

"I'm back." Seth says. The girl who he had talked with yesterday ran over to him. "So, how'd it go?" She asks. "I just went out for food." He replies. The girl visibly pouts a little. Seth sighs. "It was fine." He reluctantly said. "I'm just making sure." The girl says. "So what do you want?" Seth asks. "Some takoyaki would be nice please." The girl answers. Seth nods. "I'll see what I can do." Seth then prepares the takoyaki. Unbeknownst to him, the girl snuck out of the house and had made it back before he did. Where she went; Bright Trade Facility. And she saw Chiaki. And she can't get her out of her mind. Why? She asks herself that over and over. "She's just like me. I can feel it. But why? And, why do I get the feeling I know her from somewhere?" The poor girl would not get her Answers Until fate allowed it to.

(Kazuichi's POV)

I just got finished sending another one to the artificial airlock I created. The look on his suffocating face as he loses all the air in his body. What despair would it give him. It's so… so… Wait a minute. This isn't right. Why am I not- Oh no… Something's wrong! I run out of my room and get the attention of the others. "Guys! We may have a problem!" I call out. "The hell is it now Souda? This better be important!" Fuyuhiko snaps at me. "Uh, yeah! It's important. So, I just sent another one to their despair-filled death, and-" "Yeah. Yeah, the machine failed. You're a mechanic ain't ya? Fix it!" He snaps again. "No, it worked. Except the despair it brought was…" I stop for a moment. "Well, what was it like? Give me the details, damn it!" Fuyuhiko yells. "I don't know what's happening. But whatever is happening, for whatever reason, I'm didn't enjoy it. It just felt empty." I end. That got everyone's attention. I heard someone drop and break a glass cup. "Ugh… I'll clean it up…" The Ultimate Imposter says.

 **Author's Notes**

 **Uh oh. Looks like Chiaki's presence in Kanzakai is somehow causing effects in her old world. How? Well, I'm not spoiling anything. That'd be ruining this fanfic. Anyway, this is another chapter I thought I'd do simply because I had time to do it. I wanted to have Chiaki go through a large portion of Kanzakai so that she can familiarize herself with her new residence. At least, for now. Also, there's that girl again. Who is she? I've dropped the same hint as last chapter. But I haven't been given the answer. But it's rather pointless, since the only thing you get out of it is the satisfaction of guessing who it is correctly. If you want to guess, PM me who you think it is. The next chapter here will still be on Christmas. Consider this a bonus chapter of sorts. Though the next time I upload… Let's just say that Carmine ain't the only one who's psycho. I'll see you at Beacon Gaming. Or not. That choice is yours. Until next time, I'll stay Enigmatic.**

 **-UltimateEnigmatic**

 **(Added)**

 **Well this is embarrassing... I may have forgot to add that Soll and Druid were OC's of mine. Oops. Been playing too much Smash Ultimate lately. Ah well.**


	4. Clause 101: Pure Data

(Chiaki's POV)

The Hollow Night, the phenomenon that brought me here. Has it really been an entire month since that day? I suppose it has, but time does seem to fly when you're happy, I think. Regardless, I believe the best way to hone my skills now is actual experience. After the Night I came here, I used what remained of my EXS when it vanished to further hone my skills. Of course, without the constant EXS flow the Hollow Night gives, my powers faded after a while. But now, they're back. Because the Hollow Night has returned once more. This is the first Hollow Night I'll experience on my own, and I can tell it won't be my last either. But no matter what, I've got to keep moving forward. My memories… I don't know much. I remember there being a mechanic of sorts, but nothing else comes to my mind. Strange. Even Linne didn't know about the memory process behind my EXS, she only knew its combat potential. Maybe there's someone around here that knows more of my EXS, ironically the EXS of Memory. Hmm… So I guess I just go forward and take down the Voids for now. Yeah, that seems like the best option, I think.

Turns out, there were more Voids than just the humanoid ones I was attacked by on my first Night. There were blobs of EXS and snake-like creatures with those ominous amethyst eyes piercing through their very being. The smaller ones were easily taken down by a single Theta Buster, signifying that they're weaker than others. But the humanoid Voids, as I found out, were much harder to fell. Most of the time, I managed to take it down using five or six Theta Busters, but sometimes they were more resilient to be affected by them. Case in point, the one right in front of me had taken twenty. Perhaps a stronger blow would be able to take it down. Here goes.

"Omicron Fist!" Green energy surrounds my fist in a cubic shape. When it flashes, it's ready to go. As soon as I get my own signal, I lunge forward and dive at the Void. The cube explodes on impact, sending the Void hurdling down the street. Sure enough, the stronger Omicron Fist managed to defeat the Void for good. Finally. I was worried now. Before leaving on my own to hone my abilities, Hyde warned me that other In-Births might be able to sense when EXS is being used. It's especially dangerous since there are apparently very strong In-Births out there, like Waldstein and Seth to name a few. I wonder if having to use that power attracted someone else to my location…

"C-Chiaki?" I hear a familiar voice behind me. It was Orie. Gone was her winter clothing. She instead opted for a long grayish-blue dress that went all they way down to the bottom of her legs with bronze designs. Also, those silver high heels shoes… they're VERY tall. How is she able to move in them? Regardless, since she's here, she must be an In-Birth. "It's the Hollow Night! What are you doing here?" She asks. I give her a confused look. "Didn't you see my training fight with Seth?" I ask her back. "Well, yes. But aren't you a little inexperienced?" She responds. Ouch… "Yeah, but I feel the only way for me to improve now is experience, I think." I reply. "Well I 'm glad you're restricting yourself to Voids at the moment, but who knows what could've happened? What if Amnesia found you?" Orie seems worried. "Don't other In-Births fight each other here too?" I ask as an answer. Stunned silence occurs for a moment.

"R-Regardless, I can't leave you hear all alone! Where's the Night Blade? Why aren't they with you?" Orie seems to want to know where the others are. "Oh, that's fine. Vatista went out to go Void hunting, since it's her programmed mission. Waldstein's looking for someone to fight, as always. As for Linne and Hyde, they said something about a paradox." Orie cuts me off there. "Paradox!?" That can't be good. "Am I missing something?" I ask, tilting my head. "Paradox is the leader of Amnesia. From what I know, she wants to become a Re-Birth. She hasn't made any success, but she believes that a large EXS flow will do the trick. So, most of Paradox follows her into doing so." Orie explains. "And I guess that means Paradox wants to overflow EXS into Kanzakai?" I ask. She nods her head in agreement. "This is bad… I mean, sure Paradox has been stopped before, but she's still very powerful. Going after her is dangerous, especially considering some of the best Amnesia agents are here as well…" Orie speculates. "Well, I'll go help them! They could need it!" I say.

"Normally, I'd agree with those sentiments, but I can't just leave you alone when you're still developing your power. Please, permit me to come with you." Orie asks me. I have nothing against her, and the more the merrier I guess. But I see an opportunity, and I'm not going to blow it. "Sure. On one condition." I state. "What is it?" Orie asks. "I want to fight you." I declare. "W-What!?" Orie seems flabbergasted. "Why?" I blink. "Like I said, I need experience to help me improve. I see a good way to do that right now, I think." Orie seems concerned. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Well, here goes. "Yeah. Besides, win or lose, you still get to come with me. The only condition I gave was that you had to fight me." I affirm. Orie closes her eyes, deep in though. And then she opens them with resolve. "Very well. Don't hold back Chiaki." She states. She draws her rapier and prepares for battle. I can feel the EXS in the air concentrating around us. Here goes. My first real battle.

 **[Under Night In-Birth] Purity & Strictly (Orie's theme) by Raito**

The battle commences, and I decide to take the initiative, rather than by bout with Seth. "Here goes!" I call, as I launch a few Theta Busters in rapid succession towards Orie. Much like Seth, she parries them with her rapier. However, she manages to swiftly dodge the others that her rapier couldn't catch. Orie then takes the opportunity to try and close the gap between us. I decide to lay a trap for this approach. I ready Upsilon Floor right behind me, and prepare to evade her sword strikes. However, she does something I didn't expect. "To me!" She calls out, as an entity of pure light materializes in front of her. The massive sword it has swings wide, and I'm forced to duck to evade it. Orie then thrusts her rapier low to attack where I am. I do a back-roll to dodge it, but I wasn't really used to those athletic maneuvers. I stood behind the Upsilon Floor as it's beam rose up, temporarily forming a quick wall so I can catch my breath a little.

The moment the beam disappeared, Orie dashed straight towards me, weapon in hand. "Not giving up!" I shout, as I form the Zeta Blade to parry her sword strikes. "Divine Thrust!" Orie launches herself forward and thrusts her rapier toward me, fast. I raise the sword to block. The two blades connect, but Orie is still able to dash past me with her maneuver. "I command thee!" Orie calls as she summons her entity again. It slashes downward, so I deftly dodge to the side. "Thick and Fast!" Orie orders, and the entity swings quickly horizontally almost immediately after its initial strike. With no time to dodge a sudden move like that, I ended up taking a hit from most of its full power. As I am reeling from the blow, the Zeta Blade dematerializes from my hands. Orie wastes no time in going for a follow-up attack, so I have to keep a quick distance from her to avoid being rushed down. "Rho Ray!" I call out a new attack, launching a massive stream of projectiles not unlike, but somewhat stronger than the Thea Busters'. Orie guards with her rapier, but I can tell it did some damage to her as she stops her movement there.

"Not bad." Orie compliments. "Thanks. You're pretty good too." I praise back. I decide not to waste any more time, neither does Orie. This time, I think I'll go for a more defensive approach. "Gamma Stance!" I declare, as my body gets enveloped in the same hard-light protection as the Iota Arms. "Oblique's Edge!" Orie calls out and her spirit does a few rapid succession slices towards me. I take it head on, and my armor holds me steady. I walk forward slowly, as the armor slows my movement, but I know while it's active, it will be harder for me to be taken down. Orie, to her credit, sees this and decides to hold be back to prevent me from getting closer. "Sealing Hoplon!" Orie declares, and her entity dashes toward me. Rather than going for a sword blow, it emits a sphere of light. The sphere traps me in place, but I don't feel much of it's power since I have my armor. I then launch a Theta Buster at the entity, but it vanishes the moment it is about to connect. I also notice that my armor had vanished as well.

"Let's finish this!" I declare as I draw in EXS, preparing for a great attack. "Very well then." Orie declares as she too prepares herself. "Sigma Skysword!" I call out as I throw a massive broadsword of light directly toward Orie. "Vanish. Luminous Embrace!" Orie shouts as she plunges her rapier into the ground, at the same time her entity prepares a gigantic slash downward. As the two swords hit the earth, a massive wave of light comes violently towards me. Both of the strong attacks go through each other, and all I see before me is light.

(No POV)

The Sigma Skysword stuck Orie, but at the same time the wave of light that was the Luminous Embrace crashed into Chiaki. Both of them are sent reeling away from each other from the incredibly strong blows. The EXS in both fighters depletes, and both are unable to continue fighting.

 **End BGM**

(Chiaki's POV)

"Ugh… that was a tough hit…" I moan. I slowly look up, expecting to see Orie standing up. But I don't. Looking forward, I see her on the ground as well. Did both of our attacks connect at the same time? "I slowly get up as Orie does the same. "That… was a good battle…" Orie says. "A draw… Good game…" I cheer and we both shake hands. "Now, let's go find Hyde and Linne. I think I might know where they're headed, but there definitely will be people going to obstruct us. Are you sure you can handle it?" Orie asks. I nod. "I wouldn't be out here if I didn't want to train myself." I state. "Alright then. Let's go." Orie declares as we run down the streets to help my friends.

 **Author's Notes**

 **I AM FINALLY BACK AFTER SO GODDAMN LONG! To those of you who didn't know, I was taking a leave of absence due to wanting to spend time with family for Christmas, thus taking me away from my computer. However, someone important to my life had died. I had just gotten the news about it as I was writing up the Christmas special chapter. As one could probably imagine, I wasn't in the mood to do any writing at the time. So then I had to delay my schedule EVEN LONGER! During this time, I reflected upon my decisions, and then I felt that managing FIVE stories at a time was too much. So here we are, focusing on Data Mine for the foreseeable future. And then my computer started malfunctioning meaning I had to get a new one, but that was easy to resolve.**

 **Anyway, enough about me. Let's talk about Chiaki's introduction to her second Hollow Night. A showdown with Orie. In actuality, I wasn't entirely sure how I wanted it to go out. I knew Chiaki had to face someone in order to improve her EXS, but who it was, and the outcome of the battle were blanks to me. So I went with ye ol' reliable randomization. And let me tell you, ending a fight in a DRAW with Orie was tough to write, but surprisingly interesting for me. So this is the result. These next few chapters are going to be treated somewhat like Chiaki's Arcade mode. Sure, ALL TEN of her opponents will talk with her before fighting, but I'm sure I can make it work.**

 **Also, more changes to schedule. Or rather, lack of schedule. Yes, I'm foregoing the whole schedule process and am now resolving to do this when I have the right motivation to. Being forced to type up anything on a time constraint kind of taxes my brain. So I decided to take it a bit easier from now on. Also, the Christmas special was going to be up instead of this, but by now the Holiday season has gone and past, and it would be too awkward. Anyway, I do not own Chiaki or Orie. They belong to their respective owners. And until next time, I'll stay Enigmatic.**

 **-UltimateEnigmatic**

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